Test Cricket 2020

[Globaltruth]

Best result we can hope for is a draw - how I hope I’ll be forced to eat those lazy forecast words.

[Historian]

Outplayed over the four days: so the gamble on dropping Broad has not worked out. Denly has done a workmanlike job but not sure he has much future for England at 34. Stokes didn't bowl until very late in the second WI innings; maybe trying to look after his damaged toe from earlier?

Anyway, well played West Indies: very good result for them and should maintain interest in the next two matches. Holder has matured into a very good all-round player.

[AmpH]

Kumble was a leg-spinner who mostly bowled googlies, as I recall, and got a lot of wickets with his extra bounce. Unless you're very tall you tend to get whacked around if you're medium pace, particularly outside England where you don't get much lateral movement. The only medium-pacer of recent times I can think of who has been notably successful is Philander of SA. I think the days of more unusual, fastish, spinners like Underwood and Barnes are long gone because they don't have uncovered pitches to exploit.

My slightly tongue-in-cheek reference to AK was alluding to comments from a number of those who played against AK during his Test career, such as the Australians who, as Shane Warne has recalled, essentially regarded and set up to play him as a medium paced inswing bowler due to the speed and nature of a large proportion of his deliveries.

[AmpH]

A good week for cricket and an excellent hard-fought Test Match deservedly won by the Windies who were better than England in all facets of the game. In particular, the Windies bowlers were much more consistent especially in the first innings.

Alas, and this is not new, too many England batsmen gave their wickets away with poor shots when set and failed to go on to compile match-defining scores - exactly as I did in playing this weekend when I managed to smack a long hop to Gully a la Rory Burns in the second innings !!!

Crawley played well in the second innings and should retain his place. Presumably Root will come in for Denley in the next Test at Old Trafford and Broad may return as well, although with the selections of Ed Smith, frankly one never knows. Butler really doesn't deserve to retain his place but probably will in the current circumstances.

Great to have the game back, at all levels.

[DracoM]

Bairstow / Foakes for keeper?

[AmpH]

Bairstow / Foakes for keeper?

Either would be better than Butler in Test cricket imv ( especially Foakes ), but JB seems to be very much one of those selections Ed Smith has decided to invest in and I believe Bairstow has alreadly been sent off to prepare with the white ball squad.

[eighthobstruction]

....good game, good game....

[Darkbloom]

Selectors develop odd fetishes for certain players. I will never understand how a mediocrity like Derek Pringle played 30 times for England. It was clear early on that Hick lacked the necessary fibre for the top level but they still kept picking him. Buttler is not going to turn into Alan Knott no matter how many games he's played. It was obvious that Jason Roy wasn't a Test player either but at least the penny dropped a little faster in his case.

Ed Smith's career is also rather Pringle-esque. With some people their face just fits, and it takes a long time to realise that results are lagging a long way behind their supposed promise.

[cloughie]

I don’t think we should be too hard on England - a 4 wicket win is hardly a whitewash!

[antongould]

Selectors develop odd fetishes for certain players. I will never understand how a mediocrity like Derek Pringle played 30 times for England. It was clear early on that Hick lacked the necessary fibre for the top level but they still kept picking him. Buttler is not going to turn into Alan Knott no matter how many games he's played. It was obvious that Jason Roy wasn't a Test player either but at least the penny dropped a little faster in his case.

Ed Smith's career is also rather Pringle-esque. With some people their face just fits, and it takes a long time to realise that results are lagging a long way behind their supposed promise.

I still think, but then I would wouldn’t I, that there is a southern bias ...... a tendency to ignore the pit heaps

[Belgrove]

It was an entertaining and poised Test going into the last day, and I’m inclined to give a bit of slack on individual performances given the unusual preparation and playing conditions. Nevertheless Denly should go, an easy one given that Root will return to the side, but Buttler should go too, in favour of Foakes. I don’t see a place for Bairstow in the Test side in the foreseeable future. Broad’s protestations will probably earn him a place back in the side, replacing Wood. I thought Stokes did a decent job as captain, considering it was is first attempt, having not captained even at Durham. Had England won, the decision to bat on the first day would have been hailed a tactical master stroke which paid off. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I do wish England would take their opposition more seriously though, one already hears noises of preparing a side for touring in Australia in 2021, seeming to ignore the possibility of five or so series in the interim.

[eighthobstruction]

It was an entertaining and poised Test going into the last day, and I’m inclined to give a bit of slack on individual performances given the unusual preparation and playing conditions. Nevertheless Denly should go, an easy one given that Root will return to the side, but Buttler should go too, in favour of Foakes. I don’t see a place for Bairstow in the Test side in the foreseeable future. Broad’s protestations will probably earn him a place back in the side, replacing Wood. I thought Stokes did a decent job as captain, considering it was is first attempt, having not captained even at Durham. Had England won, the decision to bat on the first day would have been hailed a tactical master stroke which paid off. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I do wish England would take their opposition more seriously though, one already hears noises of preparing a side for touring in Australia in 2021, seeming to ignore the possibility of five or so series in the interim.

....Olly Stone still in mix??....

[Belgrove]

....Olly Stone still in mix??....

It will be tough for newcomers to enter the squad for the Pakistan series given that those matches and the county games will be starting almost simultaneously. How can one possibly assess form in this situation?

[eighthobstruction]

It will be tough for newcomers to enter the squad for the Pakistan series given that those matches and the county games will be starting almost simultaneously. How can one possibly assess form in this situation?

England have advantage of keeping a freshened attack....while WI are going to have less choice....it seems Gabriels nature to look tired, but By 3rd Test he will be....

[Darkbloom]

I still think, but then I would wouldn’t I, that there is a southern bias ...... a tendency to ignore the pit heaps

I'm sure that's true. Nice middle-class Alastair Cook gets a knighthood, blokey Northerner Michael Vaughan hasn't so far. I'd argue Vaughan's achievements are superior: he was a much better captain and surely would have scored more runs if he'd stayed as an opener, where he was best suited.